OPHEA HEALTHY SCHOOLS

OPHEA HEALTHY SCHOOLS BUSINESS PLAN DECEMBER 15, 2014 Prepared fr The Play Exchange 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Intrductin... 3 2. The Scial Purpse Organizatin... 3 3. Thery f Change / Scial Impact... 4 4. Envirnmental Scan... 7 5. Operatins... 8 6. Peple... 10 8. Cmmunicatins... 11 9. Prject Csts... 12 2

1. INTRODUCTION Our children are at risk f being the first generatin t have a lwer life expectancy than their parents. 1 Sme risks leading t chrnic diseases are mdifiable, such as tbacc use, harmful use f alchl, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. 2 But hw d we encurage ur kids t eat a healthy diet, increase their physical activity and avid smking in a way that will empwer them t take persnal respnsibility fr thse actins nt just nw, but thrughut their lives? This is where the Healthy Schls apprach cmes in. A Healthy Schl invlves the entire schl cmmunity cming tgether t share ideas, plan and take actin. In fact, when the entire schl cmmunity takes respnsibility fr their chices, the changes becme part f the fabric f the schl culture. It s an apprach that invlves all f us and at its heart are the students. Healthy Schls is abut empwering students s their vices can be heard. By engaging them in leadership pprtunities, they ll knw at an early age they can have an impact n themselves, their peers, their classrm, their schl and their cmmunity. When we can cme tgether and d this, yung peple are better equipped t meet the challenges f tday. They re als empwered t make healthier chices and manage the risks they face, whatever they may be, well int the future. The secret t making kids healthier des nt exist in a standard prgram; it requires helping kids take cntrl f their wellbeing and that is the Healthy Schls apprach. 2. THE SOCIAL PURPOSE ORGANIZATION THE APPROACH Ophea s Healthy Schls apprach engages entire schl cmmunities students, parents, schl staff, public health and the schl bard t prmte and enhance the health and well-being f children, yuth and the brader cmmunity. Thrugh a cmprehensive and cnsultative prcess, Healthy Schls are able t plan and implement activities and strategies t address the specific health-related tpics identified by the schl cmmunity. Since every cmmunity has different needs, the secret t enabling kids t be healthier des nt exist in a ne-size-fits-all prgram. The Healthy Schls apprach 1 S. J. Olshansky, D. J. Passar, R.C. Hershw, et al. (2005) A ptential decline in life expectancy in the 21st century. New England Jurnal f Medicine. 352: 1138-1145. 2 http://www.wh.int/nmh/publicatins/fact_sheet_diet_en.pdf 3

empwers schls t implement activities and strategies that will make their cmmunities healthier, as decided by the children and yuth invlved. Instead f frcing kids t becme healthier, the Healthy Schls apprach teaches them t wrk with their teachers, parents and the cmmunity t empwer them t make healthy chices. Whether they re in the schlyard, the classrm r the lunchrm, students emerge as the leaders. While the primary audience is made up f teachers and educatrs, it is ur unique student engagement strategy that cntributes t the verall success f the Healthy Schls apprach. THE ORGANIZATION Since 1921, Ophea has been wrking t supprt the health and learning f children and yuth in Ontari. Ophea is a nt-fr-prfit rganizatin that champins healthy, active living in schls and cmmunities thrugh quality prgrams and services, partnerships and advcacy, and is led by the visin that all children and yuth value and enjy the lifelng benefits f healthy, active living. Operating up t 30 prjects annually that are bth prvincial and natinal in scpe, Ophea serves the apprximately 2.1 millin children and yuth in Ontari. In the past 20 years, Ophea has experienced significant grwth ging frm five staff and an perating budget f less than $1 millin, t 30 staff and a $4-5 millin perating budget. 3. THEORY OF CHANGE / SOCIAL IMPACT THE PROBLEM There is n shrtage f individuals and rganizatins that want t help slve Canada s health and physical activity shrtfall. Schls all ver the cuntry are attempting t becme healthy hwever there is n ne-size-fits-all prgram that is ging t be impactful acrss different schl cmmunities. A successful apprach in Nrthern Ontari might fail miserably in the East r in a different prvince altgether. Further cmplicating the situatin is the fact that schl cmmunities dn t always have the necessary resurces t engage students in bth identifying the challenges and the actins required t supprt healthy, active living within their schl. 4

Given that children and yuth aged 5 17 years are spending an average f 9 hurs, r 64% f their waking hurs, being sedentary each day, 3 creating a Healthy Schl is an ideal and an pprtune place t start. THE SOLUTION The best way t create Healthy Schls is t teach schl cmmunities hw t becme healthier rather than try t d it fr them r frce a prescribed prgram n them. The Healthy Schls apprach empwers schl cmmunities t fllw a simple, step-by-step prcess t change their schl fr the better. These steps include: 1. Identifying a pririty health tpic (i.e. physical activity, healthy eating, substance use) 2. Frming a student-led actin team 3. Develping a plan f actin 4. Implementing and evaluating the plan 5. Celebrating accmplishments and planning fr the future Recgnizing that all cmmunities have unique needs, we wrk with schls acrss Ontari t guide them thrugh the Healthy Schls apprach, which builds in flexibility that allw schls t ensure the prcess is relevant fr themselves and their students. Individual schls that fllw this prcess then reprt back and are frmally certified as a Healthy Schl and recgnized fr their wrk. Every schl in Canada has the ptential t becme a Healthy Schl - all they need are the tls and supprt t get there. Our mandate is t prvide thse supprts t build their capacity t implement this prcess n an annual basis. We cllabrate with schl bards, schls, parents, public health units and cmmunity partners t facilitate this apprach. Our wrk fcuses n supprting schl leaders t understand and utilize ur tls s that they, in turn, can empwer their students t take actin n the issues that are mst imprtant t them. As the Healthy Schls apprach grws t all 5,000 Ontari schls, we als want t make it accessible acrss the cuntry. With additinal funding, we will have the capacity t create and share ur Healthy Schls Certificatin with prvinces and schls acrss Canada, helping mre schls t becme Healthy Schls as well as establishing a strng fundatin fr schls t then benchmark themselves against. 3 http://www.csep.ca/english/view.asp?x=949 5

LOGIC MODEL Champining healthy, active living in schls and cmmunities thrugh quality prgrams and services, partnerships and advcacy Inputs Website with tls and resurces t utilize the Healthy Schls apprach Facilitaters t supprt schls t implement the apprach Students prvide input n pririty health tpics Activities Identify a pririty healthy tpic Frm a student-led actin team Develp a plan f actin Implement and evaluate the plan Celebrate accmplishments Outputs Increased physcial activity Healthier eating Higher test scres Reductin in behaviural issues Decreased substance use Outcmes Strnger sense f cnnecttin with schl and cmmunity Persnal wnership f nes health and wellbeing Lng term engagement in and adptin f healthy habits Decrease in early nset f chrnic diseases Student driven initiatives SOCIAL IMPACT The benefits f undertaking a prcess t becme a Healthy Schl are wrth it. There are numerus examples acrss Ontari f schls and cmmunities wrking tgether in this way and seeing tremendus results. These results include increased physical activity and trends tward healthier eating (fr bth students and teachers); increased student attentiveness, alertness and attendance; higher test scres, a reductin in behaviural issues; and a strnger sense f student belnging, attachment and safety in the schl cmmunity. Based n the results f multiple third party academic studies cnducted in relatin t Healthy Schls, schl cmmunities adpting this apprach saw the fllwing changes: 90% increase amngst students in their perceptin that the schl is a fair and safe place t be 55% increase amngst students in their sense f schl belnging 98% increase amngst students in their enthusiasm fr Health and Physical Educatin taught at schl 6

34% increase in reprted physical activity utside f schl time 42% increase in the ability t implement 20 minutes f DPA (Daily Physical Activity) in schls Over 20% increase in student EQAO scres (includes: Reading and Math - Grade 3 and Reading and Math - Grade 6). 4 4. ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN STRENGTHS Nwhere else in Canada des anther initiative exactly like Healthy Schls (and Healthy Schls Certificatin) exist. We als knw there is a grwing need and desire t implement similar initiatives acrss the cuntry. We are ne f the few rganizatins in Ontari that can mbilize a diverse grup f individuals within the schl envirnment (i.e. schl staff, students, principals, parents and public health) and we have a prven track recrd f ding s. We have been wrking with sectr partners and the gvernment fr many years nw and have established urselves as a bridge between the Ministry f Educatin and frntline teachers. There is an pprtunity fr us t nw share ur experience and lessns learned t supprt the building f these relatinships with ther prvinces. Our prgramming and services are ffered in bth French and English (including bilingual Ophea staff), allwing us t seamlessly wrk with Ontari s 5,000 schls, and psitining us well t wrk with all prvinces in the future. Our brand is very well-respected in educatin, public health, gvernment and within the health sectr bth prvincially and natinally and we have the pprtunity t further leverage it t a much larger, natinal audience thrugh The Play Exchange cmpetitin. WEAKNESSES / CHALLENGES While we recgnize the strength f ur brand in Ontari, we d acknwledge that we have nt had the pprtunity t frmally wrk with ther prvinces t cllabrate n Healthy Schls. 4 Living Schl, Dr. Martin Shain, 2004 (http://www.phea.net/healthy-schls-cmmunities/making-ithappen),"getting t DPA", Dr.Martin Shain, 2006. 7

Within Ontari, prmting ur Healthy Schls brand can als be a challenge. There are many different health rganizatins wrking in Healthy Schls using different terminlgy, tls and training. As yu can imagine, this leads t a great deal f cnfusin and can limit the supprt we can ffer t sme schls. Being cnfused as a gvernment agency is als a cmmn miscnceptin that we face. It is nt uncmmn fr the public t assume that we are an arm f the gvernment when in fact we wrk tgether as partners t help implement gvernment mandated plicies and strategies in Ontari schls. As an rganizatin, Ophea nly receives prject-based funding and have perated n this basis fr many years. With n cre funding, we recgnize the sustainability challenges ahead. This is especially cncerning with s many nt-fr-prfit health prmtin rganizatins all cmpeting fr the same pl f funds. Shwing hw ur wrk impacts the prvince and, later, the cuntry, will be a critical part f ur grwth strategy. Having the right supprt and tls t effectively evaluate ur initiatives will better psitin us as a leader in Canada fr creating Healthy Schls. 5. OPERATIONS Building n the success f the Healthy Schls apprach, the next step in ur evlutin is t expand ur reach thrugh Healthy Schls Certificatin. In rder t scale, we wuld take a tw-prnged apprach: 1. Enhancing Healthy Schls Certificatin in Ontari 2. Supprting Healthy Schls Certificatin acrss Canada ENHANCING HEALTHY SCHOOLS CERTIFICATION IN ONTARIO Ophea made a cmmitment in Spring 2014 t internally invest $100,000 t finance the initial develpment phase f Healthy Schls Certificatin. In Nvember 2014, funding was secured t supprt the basic implementatin f the initiative thrugh t the 2017 / 2018 schl year in Ontari. Hwever, recgnizing that the prvince f Ontari is hme t almst 40% f the Canadian ppulatin and 5,000 schls, additinal funding will allw us t enhance the Healthy Schls apprach, specifically as it relates t the fllwing key cmpnents ver a three-year perid: Cmmunicatins: Execute brad-based prvincial cmmunicatins and partner n a natinal cmmunicatins strategy t increase awareness and participatin in Healthy Schls. Currently, we are unable t cmmunicate ur messages bradly and rely 8

mstly n inexpensive electrnic cmmunicatins such as email and scial media t share infrmatin, which is limiting. Resurce Develpment: Be respnsive t schls n an annual basis t develp, adapt, translate and share resurces (e.g., activity cards, lessn plans, student guides) t assist them with addressing physical activity and related health tpics in their schl cmmunity. Currently, we have limited funds t develp and maintain new resurces and will nt be able t be as respnsive t new participating schl cmmunities as we wuld like t be t ensure their success. Training and Capacity Building: Increase ur reach as it relates t training and capacity building. Currently, we are able t deliver nline training (i.e. e-mdules, webinars) but we are nt able t travel t cmmunities t supprt schl leaders with implementing the Healthy Schls apprach. An increased training and capacity building budget wuld pen up additinal, in-persn, pprtunities including the ptential fr reginal Healthy Schls training and cnferences. Evaluatin: All schls participating in Healthy Schls Certificatin will be required t submit annual reprts t demnstrate their effectiveness. Hwever, the review and sharing f this infrmatin is a time intensive prcess and as the prgram grws, will require additinal supprts. An increased evaluatin budget wuld allw fr mre indepth review and sharing f evaluatin findings bth prvincially and natinally t demnstrate the impact and reach f Healthy Schls in schl cmmunities acrss the prvince. SUPPORTING HEALTHY SCHOOLS CERTIFICATION ACROSS CANADA Similar t Ophea, rganizatins exist acrss Canada that share the same cmmitment t creating Healthy Schls. While we recgnize differences exist acrss prvinces and it can be challenging t cllabrate between rganizatins, ur cnversatins with numerus prvincial partners lead us t believe there is bth a need and a desire fr this initiative t expand utside f Ontari. In the spirit f the Healthy Schls apprach, we wuld leverage future funds raised t cllabrate with Healthy Schls partner rganizatins acrss Canada, such as the Department f Educatin in PEI, Ever Active Schls in Alberta, and DASH-BC in British Clumbia. We wuld supprt the develpment f cmmunicatin materials, resurces, and training t infrm the Healthy Schls apprach in ther prvinces based n Ontari s Healthy Schl Certificatin. Having already priritized this wrk and made the internal investment t fund the develpment f a prttype we understand the steps required t develp a Healthy Schls 9

Certificatin framewrk and wuld leverage existing resurces t enhance Healthy Schls n a natinal level. This wrk wuld be accmplished ver a three year perid thrugh the fllwing key activities: Year 1 2015/2016 Schl Year Year 2 2016-2017 Schl Year Year 3 2017/2018 Schl Year Identify ptential prvincial partners Hld explratry partner meetings Cnfirm prvincial partnerships Develp tw year plan fr prgram develpment and evaluatin Begin cllabrative prvincial prgram develpment and / r adaptatin prcess Execute needs assessment, develp prgram cncept, begin prgram develpment, facilitate prgram review with partners Recruit and pilt test certificatin prgram with lcal schl cmmunities Finalize prgram and prepare fr natinal rll ut in identified prvinces 6. PEOPLE Led by the Executive Directr & CEO, Ophea perates with 30 emplyees wh bring specialized skills and experience in the areas f health and physical educatin, health prmtin, cmprehensive schl health, prgram develpment, prject management, marketing, evaluatin, technlgy, finance and administratin. With several bilingual staff, we als have capacity fr develping and implementing French language services. In ur current rganizatinal structure, ur staff are required t manage a number f different prjects (n average 3 5 annually) and are unable t fully dedicate their time t Healthy Schls. As we grw and enhance ur Healthy Schls Certificatin in Ontari and supprt certificatin acrss Canada, we will need t mve twards dedicating full-time staff supprt t this wrk. We envisin hiring the fllwing full-time staff and cnsulting supprt early n: Healthy Schls Certificatin Prgram Manager Healthy Schls Certificatin Prgram Leader 10

Heathly Schls Certificatin Cmmunity Cnsultant Evaluatin Cnsultant These new rles will allw fr greater specializatin and capacity building in Ontari, as well as the ability t supprt Healthy Schls Certificatin acrss Canada. 8. COMMUNICATIONS As we scale Healthy Schls we will need t engage in the fllwing key strategic cmmunicatins activities t supprt ur grwth: Review Brand Strategy: The recgnitin and equity currently lies with Ophea, whereas Healthy Schls is a widely used term. We will need t decide hw t frmally cmmunicate the relatinship between Ophea and Healthy Schls as we embark n the certificatin prcess t create clear messaging and reduce cnfusin in the marketplace. Fcused and Targeted Cmmunicatins: Cmmunicatin targets will need t supprt ur business gals in the first tw years. By cmmunicating directly t schl-based cntacts (i.e. Schl Bards, Principals / Schl Administratin, Parent Cuncils, Teachers Assciatins) in Ontari, we can ensure that all 5,000 schls are aware f the steps t certificatin, as well as the supprt and resurces available t them t becme a certified Healthy Schl. Shwcase Results and Success Stries: We will develp materials fr cmmunicating with prspective partners that fcus n Healthy Schls successes in Ontari (and later elsewhere). These may include presentatin decks, web cntent, and additinal cllateral that demnstrate hw t becme a certified Healthy Schl, as well as shwcase the results f thse that have already been certified (when available). Cmmunicatins Tlkit: In subsequent years, expansin utside f Ontari will be managed thrugh prspective partner rganizatins like the Department f Educatin in PEI, Ever Active Schls in Alberta, and DASH-BC in British Clumbia. We will need t develp a cmmunicatins tlkit t share with ur partners t ensure all prvinces are accurately and cnsistently cmmunicating the essence f the Healthy Schls apprach while remaining true t the cre principles f what is means t be a certified Healthy Schl. Scial Media: We will cntinue t use scial and earned media pprtunities t share ur success stries. We will als share cverage with ur prspective partners and 11

cmmunities t increase the prfile and brand awareness f Healthy Schls Certificatin acrss Canada. 9. PROJECT COSTS Healthy Schls is ne f six finalists chsen frm The Play Exchange, a natinal nline challenge t find and supprt innvative ideas t get Canadians healthier and mre active. This business plan and estimate f prjected csts have been develped t supprt Healthy Schls entry in The Play Exchange. The infrmatin within this plan was prvided by Healthy Schls unless therwise nted. T execute ur tw-prnged apprach t scale ver the next three years, we plan t spend resurces as fllws: Categry Year 1 (2015/2016) 100-250 schls Year 2 (2016/2017) 250-500 schls Year 3 (2017/2018) All Ontari schls Enhancing Heathly Schls Certificatin in Ontari Partnership / Relatinships $ 25,000 $ 20,000 $ 20,000 Cmmunicatins $ 62,500 $ 50,000 $ 50,000 Resurce Develpment $ 37,500 $ 30,000 $ 30,000 Training / Capacity Building $ 62,500 $ 50,000 $ 50,000 Online Delivery $ 50,000 $ 30,000 $ 20,000 Evaluatin / Certificatin $ 25,000 $ 30,000 $ 40,000 Supprting Heathly Schls Certificatin Acrss Canada Partnership / Relatinships $ 25,000 - - Prgram Planning $ 25,000 - - Prgram Develpment - $ 150,000 - Prgram Testing, - - $ 150,000 Finalizatin and Launch Ttal Ttal $ 312,500 $ 360,000 $ 360,000 $ 1,032,500 12